The exclusively exclusionary clothing brand is back in the news again this week with protesters planning to donate A&F clothes to the homeless. You can also see the hashtag, #FitchtheHomeless.
At best, this reinforces exclusion, only the coolest can wear the latest season A&F attire. Everyone else is in the homeless category.
You can go to any Goodwill or Salvation Army store and find A&F branded clothing. Lots of items. A&F is probably just as aware of this and they probably don’t care, because the items are “last season.”
The store employees are required to dress in this season’s line. The catalogue features the current season and the cool kids A&F is courting want to wear the latest and greatest.
At worst, isn’t this just Zoolander in real life?
Not that wikipedia is the most appropriate source, but it gives a good summary.
“‘Derelicte’ is the name given to the fashion line designed by Will Ferrell’s character Mugatu. It is described by Mugatu in the film as ‘a fashion, a way of life inspired by the very homeless, the vagrants, the crack whores that make this wonderful city so unique.’ The fashion line consists of clothing made from everyday objects that could be found on the streets of New York. Derelicte is a parody of a real fashion line created by John Galliano in 2000.”
Clothing donations already happen, a mass campaign to donate A&F clothes to the homeless won’t impact the retailer’s bottom line.
Do you disagree? Will you participate?
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It’s not about their bottom line.
Carl,
I agree. As I said in the previous post, it’s also about creating publicity and buzz (albeit negative). A&F seems to have a cycle. Every couple of years the CEO says, does or creates something outlandish (like the magazine/catalogue, t-shirts, etc.), which gets people up in arms and media coverage. I foresee A&F continuing with their antics, like a toddler, until they stop getting media coverage.
Aurora
Because the CEO is a toddler…with a cut-rate plastic surgeon.
If that’s the case, then the CEO’s actually a genius! Able to give interviews, speak in complete (inane and offensive) sentences, dress himself, drive, etc. = )
-Aurora